Navigating Bullshit and Shibboleth

Many years ago, Harry Frankfurt wrote an essay that later became a little book titled *On Bullshit*. It was a philosophical exploration of the question: What is bullshit? It's a delightful read, and I highly recommend it. The main point is that some discussions appear to be about one thing but are actually about something else. For instance, we might be discussing politics, but my real aim is to prove I'm smarter than you. Or perhaps we're debating global warming, but I'm trying to show you're useless. Discussions like these are what Frankfurt called bullshit—a technical term for conversations that seem to be about one topic but are actually about another.

Now, there's a subcategory of bullshit known as shibboleth. So, what is shibboleth? Long ago, there was a biblical story involving two tribes at war. After the war, they settled on opposite sides of a river and needed a way to identify each other. It turned out these tribes pronounced the name of a plant, shibboleth (a type of wheat), differently. One tribe said shibboleth, while the other said seebboleth. Imagine I'm from one of those tribes and I meet you. I ask how you pronounce this plant's name. If you say it my way, we're allies; if you say it the other way, I might chase you away or worse.

This discussion about shibboleth isn't really about the plant's name—it's about identity. When I ask you how to pronounce it, I don't care about the plant; I care about who you are. Frankfurt's definition of bullshit covers discussions that aren't about what they seem to be about; they're about something else entirely. Shibboleth is a specific type of bullshit where the real topic is identity.

Now, here's a challenge for you: Think about today's political discourse. Look at what our politicians are saying. Which statements are truly about facts and beliefs? And which ones are shibboleths—signals of their identity rather than discussions of truth? Consider who excels at shibboleth among our politicians. Who makes statements that are more about identity than facts?

Good luck to all of us in navigating this world filled with so much bullshit and shibboleth.